Blog Viewer

As PG&E highlights potential need for fossil fuels to address power shutoffs, groups press for more storage

By District Energy posted 06-04-2020 10:39

  

Utility Dive

Summary

PG&E’s broader strategy to reduce the impacts of its shut-offs includes three programs: upgrading certain substations so they can operate as islands when transmission lines are de-energized, providing technical and financial support to communities that want to deploy microgrids, and its "temporary generation program," which initially included deploying up to 300 MW of temporary generators to power certain communities during the 2020 wildfire season. 

In an update filed in April, the utility bumped up that number and said that "vendors offering temporary generators using fuels other than renewable or fossil diesel would face challenges" in handling the full scope of work. To date, PG&E has reserved around 450 MW of temporary generation for 2020.

The CPUC has tentatively approved that plan "for interim, short-term use for the upcoming 2020 wildfire season." Noting that large diesel generators can create health risks for communities, the commission recommended allowing the use of diesel generation for one year after PG&E signs vendor agreements in 2020. PG&E would also be required to submit a report to the commission before Feb. 15, 2021, detailing the number of diesel generators it deployed as well as the associated greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutant emissions. In addition, the proposal includes a suite of measures to accelerate microgrid deployments such as standardizing application processes and expediting interconnection processes for certain customers. 

Continue Reading


#News
#Microgrids
#California
0 comments
6 views

Permalink